


Redemption of Humanity's Champion

by Veleriphon



Series: Mass Effect re-scripted? [1]
Category: Mass Effect 3 - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Canon, Redemption, War
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-12-17
Updated: 2012-12-17
Packaged: 2017-11-21 08:42:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 807
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/595746
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Veleriphon/pseuds/Veleriphon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>I'm only concerned herein with the missions where the I.M. makes an appearance.  It always seemed weird to me, that with all the intelligence he and Shep posessed, Bioware never wrote a less... cliche script for him.  Cliche in that those who -could- help, but were close in some way with the Reapers or just large scraps of their tech, would -always- be indocternated and practically unrecoverable.  I always felt that was rather lame, especially if you were into your -fifth- playthrough of ME3.  Too bad Bioware.  I love the games, regardless!<br/>M for some violence and language, which I'm trying to keep to a modicum of minimality.</p><p>Of course I don't own the characters, settings, etc.  That's all the great team(s) at Bioware!</p>
            </blockquote>





	Redemption of Humanity's Champion

**Author's Note:**

> So yeah, I'm playing through the game -again-. And why not? I -love- the combat!
> 
> I.M. has a bit different dialog, but I tried to keep things close, if you can call it that, to the theme of the original.  
> The next segment will diverge a tad further from cannon, as the Reapers start clamping down on the throats of the galaxy's major powers, and as Shep figures out how twisted his orders are becoming.
> 
> It's going to bother the crap out of me not to have this line of thought to go with in-game. Which will inspire the next chapter or three.  
> \---  
> Definitely rewriting. - 2001.19.1.2013

The Illisive Man's base, primary control center

"Sir, she's spent six months in Alliance hands. I wish you would send me to end her for her treachery."

Taking a drag of a cigarette, the Illusive Man held his response for a moment. "You fail to understand her. She did what no other, even you, could have done."

Now the other man's voice seemed child-like in its delivery, "All those resources you poured into that ship, the fortune you spent to bring her back, and for what? So she can turn everything over to -them-!?"

"Her time will come. For now, she is to be left alone."

Exhaling, the unseen man replies without question, "Yes, sir."

_____  
Mars - Prothean Archives

Shepard overlooking Liara, starting to copy data from the ancient repository.

A voice from behind startles Liara, but Shepard keeps her cool. "Too bad I didn't get here sooner; this data would have propelled humanity a thousand years further than just discovering the Sol relay."

"Illusive Man. Definitely like you to show up right about now."

"Hmph. Your own sense of timing is something to behold."

"What the hell are you here for?"

"The same thing as you: the Archives. The Protheans were amazing, but only in their dismal failure."

Liara finally speaks up, "You would call their extinction a failure, but their ruins exist on many worlds and cultures."

"Only Ruins now. But that doesn't matter. The data inside the Archives here will prove the Reapers' undoing."

Shepard, in a determined tone, almost shouts at his hologram, "With this information, we can rid the galaxy of the Reapers once and for all!"

He shakes his head and steps past Shepard, glimpsing up at the Archives' shell, "You were good, but your goals are misguided."

"What the fuck are you talking about?"

"Control. I'm convinced this data will show a way to dominate the Reapers. In ten thousand years we advanced barely enough to get into space! Then we found the Relay beyond Pluto's orbit... we advanced so far past that, that some other, -older-, cultures see us as intriguing, worthy of study. But with control over the Reapers, Humanity will advance a thousand-fold beyond our wildest imaginations. Humanity will be on top, dominating the galaxy."

Liara narrows her eyes at him just-so, "Did you ever read the full report about Ilos?"

He looks off to his right, waving his hand at some unseen controls, "Only a partial notation here... Immaterial."

Shepard gives him a stern look and tells him, "Immat..."

A shout from Lieutenant Commander Ashley Williams startles Liara, who looks back to the computer console.

"I would love to stay and chat, Commander, but your value now is not what it was."

Undeterred for the moment, Shepard relaxes and changes tactics on the Illusive Man, "If you really care about Humanity, you'd give me your resources. You -know- I wouldn't fail."

"You'd do better than most, but no. I don't want the Reapers destroyed. The odds aren't in your favor." Taking a puff of a cigarette, "Time's up, Shepard. So long, Doctor T'Soni."

The hologram fades out as a synthetic human, followed by Ashley, runs past the gangway. "Damn she's fast!"

"She's got the data!" Liara shouts into the cavern.

Shepard sprints after Doctor Eva, dodging pyrotechnic blasts, hurdling over objects, and climbing ladders. Finally reaching the roof, a Kodiak shuttle with Cerberus colors floats down to collect the synthetic, and the data.

"Normandy! She's getting out from the roof on a shuttle! ... Normandy! James! ... Anybody!?"

Just as the Cerberus shuttle begins to turn around to take off, an Alliance shuttle veers into a collision course at full thrust. "I got this one!" Lieutenant James Vega says over the radio.

The collision cripples the unarmored Cerberus shuttle, sending it down onto the roof, only just barely mssing killing Shepard's team in the process. James brings his vehicle down with a screeching halt.

Picking themselves up, Liara says to a helping Ashley, "We need that data!"

As if on cue, two thunderous metallic impacts are heard from the flaming, white wreck behind them.

Ashley pushes Liara foward, out of the way, and begins to unload her pistol at the now charred form of the synthetic human.

Getting herself up to Liara, Shepard watches in horror as Ashley's head is palmed by the synthetic, only to be slammed into the wreck behind them a moment later. Ashley goes limp from the second, brutal impact.

"Ash, no!" Shepard yells out, as the synthetic now turns to the Commander and Liara.

A mere four shots later, the synthetic is down, and the team takes it with.

Now Joker, aboard the Normandy, calls out over the radio with a loud warning alarm in the background, "Shepard! We have to get out of here! Multiple Reaper ships are descending onto the planet!"


End file.
